Extreme ambient temperatures can limit fuel cell and battery performance. Exposing fuel cells and batteries to extreme temperatures can, over time, cause irreversible physical or chemical changes, resulting in reduced life expectancy and poor performance. During use, the heat generated can sometimes be sufficient to prevent damage or performance degradation. No heat is generated, however, when the fuel cell or battery is not in use. Thus, fuel cells and batteries are most vulnerable to the irreversible damage caused by extreme ambient temperatures while turned off for extended periods of time.